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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28627734">Vampires and a Merlin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Cherry_Trickster/pseuds/Impala_Cherry_Trickster'>Impala_Cherry_Trickster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Vampire Knights [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Biting, F/F, Feeding, Historical, Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Immortality, M/M, Powerful Merlin (Merlin), Protective Knights (Merlin), Protective Merlin, Vampires, this is a trainwreck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:01:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,756</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28627734</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Cherry_Trickster/pseuds/Impala_Cherry_Trickster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The other Vampires have had a long time to come to terms with their powers. Guinevere, as the newest of the group, is struggling</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elyan/Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Gwen/Morgana (Merlin), Lancelot/Merlin (Merlin), Leon/Merlin (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Percival (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Vampire Knights [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2097858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>99</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Death</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘Guinevere…’ Arthur warned, but he understood her pain. She winced, drawing back away from the bars, eyes flicking between the usual soft brown and a dark red. Hungry, from the fangs poking at her bottom lip, and the way she was eyeing up the person in the cell next to them.</p><p>‘They’ll find us soon.’ Elyan assured his sister, shifting in the chains. Normally, simple metal couldn’t hold them back, but this was enchanted. Stronger than usual, far more challenging than anything Arthur had faced in the last couple of hundred years.</p><p>‘She’ll starve before that.’ Came the voice from the back of the cell, where Gwaine had remained in a mood for the past six days.</p><p>It was true. Guinevere was the newest turned, at only fifty years into her immortality. Before that, she relied on Merlin’s Magic to keep her alive.</p><p>‘Shut it.’ Elyan snarled, fangs on display, while Arthur tried to figure out how long they’d been in chains for. It had to be at least a couple of weeks, hence the feeling in his stomach that he couldn’t quite shake. Starvation, for a vampire, took a while. Sunlight began to affect them more, and they were quicker to lose their temper.</p><p>‘Morgana and Merlin are out there. They’ll have a plan.’ Lancelot soothed the group, as usual.</p><p>Arthur ignored all of them, slumping against the wall and trying to recall if he’d ever been this hungry before. He could hear the man in the cell next to them, the heartbeat that rattled away as they slept.</p><p>The man was a sorcerer, and according to his knowledge, Magic was blocked inside this building. That was why it was taking Merlin so long, it was why they were waiting patiently to be rescued.</p><p>They’d been bored, leaving Wessex after the King died, travelling to the continent. It made them travel further, to the sandy lands where Aithusa had made a home, which was where they’d found another group of Vampires.</p><p>The fight had been enough to attract attention, hence why Arthur was in chains.</p><p>‘Any luck with contacting him?’ Leon piped up from the silence, looking across to the only Vampire that had access to Merlin’s mind.</p><p>Gwaine simply shot him a look, one that told him not to be an idiot, before going back to moping.</p><p>**</p><p>‘Morgana!’ Merlin hissed, while the Vampire flashed him a look. She, clearly, was unimpressed with Merlin’s attempts to do this peacefully.</p><p>‘Is this your… Queen?’ He could have laughed, but he schooled his expression, straightening his spine and attempting to look royal. Arthur managed, and considering Merlin was the <em>literal King of Magic, </em>how hard could it be?</p><p>‘She’s my sister-in-law.’ A lie, considering he wasn’t married, but he kept his expression neutral as he looked at the untrusting group of people.</p><p>They weren’t only wary of Vampires, but Magic also. An issue, considering the fact that he was Magic incarnate.</p><p>‘You say these… vampires, mean us no harm?’ They had lost hundreds, according to the reports. The group that they had run into, eight vampires in total, had ripped apart the city. It was why each member carried wood on them, kept a stake close by in case they had to defend themselves.</p><p>‘My Vampires, I mean, my friends,’ Gwen certainly wasn’t his, ‘aren’t like the ones you faced. We mean you no harm, we simply want a place to live.’ He should have checked the area properly. If they’d dealt with Vampires before, then of course they knew how to restrain them.</p><p>It had been twenty-five days since Arthur was snatched, since Merlin lost his lovers and his best friend. Luckily, nobody had noted Morgana was also one of the undead, partly because they’d been too busy staring at her golden eyes.</p><p>‘But they have to feed.’ He accused, the King of these lands. Merlin bowed his head, lower than he would usually dare to any mortal.</p><p>‘And they do so from my Magic. They’ve never taken a human life, not to feed.’ That was true. Even Guinevere, with her difficult transition, had managed to keep her sweet temperament.</p><p>‘If I released them now, they would kill my people.’</p><p>‘Because you’re starving them!’ Morgana snapped, taking an angry step closer.</p><p>Merlin gripped her wrist, warning her to hold her temper.</p><p>The King studied him for a moment later, before nodding.</p><p>‘You may live in our lands, in return for your protection. But your… friends, they may not touch our temples.’ Their religion was yet another complicated web of confusing half-truths, but Merlin didn’t care what they believed in.</p><p>He just wanted his friends back.</p><p>‘Thank you.’</p><p>‘Do not thank me, child. You may go to them, but I fear they’ll be quite… inhuman.’ If they hadn’t been fed for twenty-five days, he could understand why. Gwen had to be starving, he could only imagine the agony she must be in.</p><p>‘They’ll be fine.’ Merlin said that, more to reassure Morgana than anything else. The Witch huffed, but she did return to his side, offering out a smile.</p><p>‘Your Magic won’t work in the Temple, boy.’ He did hate the judgemental names, he was far older than the man sitting in front of him.</p><p>Still, he inclined his head in thanks.</p><p>The lack of Magic would be an issue, especially considering he’d need his power to feed all of them, but he could come back to that.</p><p>**</p><p>‘Merlin!’</p><p>‘Guys!’</p><p>‘Merls!’</p><p>A chorus of names, of pained smiles that he ignored as he rushed to the bars, fingers trembling with the keys in a hurry to get the door opened.</p><p>‘Don’t open…’ Arthur began the warning, far too late, because Merlin threw the door open in excitement.</p><p>Guinevere, unlike the others, wasn’t chained up. He would have been happy with that, except from the fact that her eyes were the darkest of reds, and she stalked towards him with a speed that indicated just how hungry she was.</p><p>‘Gwen.’ He spoke quietly, knowing her senses would be overpowered.</p><p>His friend cocked her head to the side, but she didn’t speak.</p><p>Just because he didn’t have his Magic, didn’t mean he was going to let her suffer. He lowered the collar of his shirt, heard Arthur warn him not to be idiotic.</p><p>But, he’d been the one to suggest Gwen turn, and he wasn’t going to let her starve.</p><p>‘You can drink.’ He assured, all the permission the youngest needed.</p><p>Teeth latched onto his neck, Merlin gasping as pain ached from the point where she was drinking. Unlike the others, her feeding wasn’t pleasurable, the pain always a reminder of what they truly were. Morgana and Gwen never fed from him directly, usually opted to wait until he’d drawn blood. Occasionally, if they were desperate, his wrist was the next best option.</p><p>Here, with Gwen far too far gone to understand that she was gulping blood down too quickly, Merlin had just enough clarity to throw the keys in the vague direction of Arthur, before the floor came rushing up to meet him.</p><p>**</p><p>Morgana paced, knowing Merlin had been right to keep her here. If she’d seen where her lover was being kept, her anger would have lashed out at all of them. Keeping her fangs a secret was a good idea, especially when they were so distrusting.</p><p>The house was built mostly of Merlin’s Magic, with a little of her own embedded. Each of them had a room, although there wasn’t much point, considering she knew that the boys would spend their evenings in Merlin’s room.</p><p>When she spotted them approaching, coming down the narrow track towards the seemingly-rundown house, her heart skipped. Strange, considering it didn’t beat, but her Magic had a habit of making her twist the laws of vampirism.</p><p>She spotted Gwen, first. Her lover was wrapped up in a ratty blanket, looking rather pale but otherwise unhurt.</p><p>No, that wasn’t true. She looked guilty, and Morgana caught a flash of red staining her shirt underneath the blanket.</p><p>The reason why became apparent when her eyes sought out Percival, carrying a figure at the back of the group.</p><p>‘Merlin!’ She truly did intend on going for Gwen, but the moment she caught sight of her mentor unconscious…</p><p>‘Into the house.’ Arthur ordered, still a King despite all these years.</p><p>They bustled in, Guinevere hovering in the doorway as Percival lowered Merlin to the table, giving Morgana her first view of the Warlock.</p><p>‘Oh.’ She understood Gwen’s hesitation, now. Merlin’s chest wasn’t moving, his skin pale, apart from the mess that used to be his neck. Blood was no longer pumping from the wound, an indication his heart had indeed stopped, and Morgana took a step towards him.</p><p>‘How long do you think…’</p><p>Over their time since Camelot, Merlin had died on multiple occasions. Unlike them, he could actually die, but he would wake up afterwards. The first time it happened, Arthur had almost burned down an entire Village in panic.</p><p>‘A few hours. The wound isn’t too bad…’ It was a lie, and they all knew it. She couldn’t even <em>see</em> the bite.</p><p>Morgana turned to look at Gwen, who was shaking in the entranceway.</p><p>‘Guinevere, love…’ Instead of being comforted, Gwen yanked herself away, staring at Merlin’s body in horror.</p><p>‘It wasn’t your fault.’ Arthur’s words did little to reassure the panicking woman, and Morgana understood why.</p><p>Gwen had the kindest of hearts. She spoke to the butterflies and birds, adored children, smiled to anyone she could. Merlin, well, he was her closest friend. They were inseparable.</p><p>‘I <em>killed </em>him.’ Morgana flashed a look to the men, surprised to see that none of them were willing to come forward.</p><p>‘You were starving, Gwen. He knew you needed the blood.’ They’d talked about it, before he went to collect them.</p><p>She told him to take some, but Merlin pointed out that bagged blood would do little to soothe a starving vampire. In truth, it was a miracle that the others were still standing.</p><p>‘I just… I couldn’t <em>stop</em>.’</p><p>On the table, Merlin’s body shuddered, before his chest began to move once again. The wound on his neck began to patch up, but the blood would remain until she washed it off his skin.</p><p>‘Love…’</p><p>‘I need some air.’ Gwen pushed past her, out of the house they had only just obtained, leaving Morgana to look to the men she viewed as brothers.</p><p>‘What happened?’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Friendship</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Merlin, Morgana and Gwen bonding chap</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘Gwen.’ Merlin was cautious, taking another step closer to his friend. She was perched on the edge of the bench, hands fisted into her breeches and looking out across the lands they had. This place was warmer than Albion, and the Normandy coast that they had previously inhabited. The warmer weather suited her, she wore brighter colours, although at the moment they were drenched in blood.</p><p>His blood.</p><p>She didn’t respond, staring blankly, unresponsive.</p><p>‘Guinevere.’ She flinched, eyes darting down to him as he crouched in front of her, snatching up her hands.</p><p>She was cold to the touch, a thing he still hadn't got used to.</p><p>‘I… you died.’ She murmured, squeezing his hand.</p><p>He was wearing a high-collared shirt for a reason, hiding the marks she’d left.</p><p>‘I don’t blame you, Gwen. I knew you needed feeding, and I offered.’ She was still hungry. Merlin didn’t know how long she’d fed for, had just about felt someone pull her off as she crouched over him.</p><p>‘I lost control.’</p><p>‘And the others have, before. You’re young, Gwen. It takes time, and we’ll be by your side.’ He flicked his thumb over her pulse, or the lack of it, and smiled up at her.</p><p>Gwen’s reply was shaky, a weak twitch of her lips as she looked up at him.</p><p>‘Trust me, Gwen.’ He’d asked that before, when they discussed which of the Vampires would sire both Morgana and Gwen. Morgana happened earlier, when she was injured and Merlin was away, unable to heal her. But Gwen… Merlin had advised for her to be turned.</p><p>She sighed, exhaling loudly despite the fact she didn’t need to, before whispering,</p><p>‘I’m hungry.’</p><p>He wasn’t surprised. She’d made a mess of the bite, spilling more blood than drinking, which was why he turned his wrist upwards in her grip.</p><p>‘Take what you need.’ He trusted her, always had, always will.</p><p>They didn’t speak about her trembling as she guided his wrist up to her mouth, lips sealing over the warm skin before her eyes flashed red.</p><p>This time, it didn’t hurt as much. No pain, just a faint ache as she slowly drank, while Merlin used his Magic to clear her clothing. The blood vanished, and he worked on replacing some of the duller fabrics with her nicer colours. Lavender, always one that suited her, and a couple of embroided patterns that he focused on as she pulled back.</p><p>Brown eyes, not red. A warm smile, a flush to her cheeks, and fingers linking with his as he pulled back.</p><p>‘Thank you.’</p><p>‘You never need to thank me, Gwen.’ She laughed, before glancing back to the house.</p><p>‘You should go to them. They’ll be angry.’ With him, for stepping into a cell full of hungry vampires. He could imagine how badly that conversation was going to go, no doubt Arthur would want him to apologise.</p><p>He wouldn’t, not yet. If he had to make the choice again, he’d go to Gwen, without hesitating. She needed him, at that point, and he wasn’t going to let her starve.</p><p>‘I’ll deal with them later. For now… I don’t want you going to the City without me or Morgana.’ He knew that controlling her wasn’t a good idea, nor did he have any intention…</p><p>But he was worried. He loved her, and he <em>knew </em>that these people could deal with Vampires. Especially ones that didn’t want to kill, like Gwen, who wouldn’t attack unless she had no other choice.</p><p>‘Worried for me?’ She teased, tracking fingers through his hair as he stayed kneeling in front of her.</p><p>‘Always, love.’ He shot back, hearing approaching footsteps as Morgana headed towards them.</p><p>She’d helped him wake up, cleaned the blood from his neck and stared at the mark that Gwen had left. Scars were a lot harder to heal, took too much energy to do so. For now, he’d just wear collared-shirts, or neckerchiefs, despite how he got teased for it.</p><p>‘You’re looking lovely as always.’ Morgana took a seat beside Gwen, leaning in to kiss her. It was cute, although it deepened quickly, so he looked away respectfully.</p><p>‘Thanks to Merlin’s Magic.’</p><p>‘Magic Man.’ Morgana was giggling, nudging Gwen as they both looked down at him. Honestly, he was more than happy to be ganged up on, especially when they were both happy.</p><p>‘Would you like some blood?’ He asked Morgana, trying to delay going back into the house. From the knowing look he got from his best friends, they were more than clued in to what he was doing.</p><p>‘Just a little, from the vein?’ He nodded, offered out his hand and watched how quickly she bit down, took a couple of sups, before pulling back.</p><p>‘I’m taking Guinevere out for a little while, perhaps on a nice ride.’ So that was what they were doing, to avoid the house so that Merlin had to face his very angry boyfriends.</p><p>‘I’m going to die.’ He muttered, Guinevere sympathetically nodding.</p><p>‘Getting fucked to death?’ Morgana’s words were responded to by Gwen hitting her arm, while Merlin rocked back and hit the dirt.</p><p>‘Morgana!’</p><p>‘What, it’s true! Drinks on me tomorrow if Merlin <em>isn’t </em>limping.’ The Warlock’s mouth opened, then shut, realising he really couldn’t disagree with that sentence.</p><p>‘Go back to them, Merlin. Get it over with.’ Gwen was right, he just needed to walk back into the room, to deal with the fact that he’d done that to them.</p><p>He promised, a short time after Camelot, not to run into danger like that. Just because he was immortal, didn’t mean he could keep dying.</p><p>‘Fine. But if I die, I’m blaming you.’ Morgana leant in to kiss his forehead, while Gwen just smiled down at him.</p><p>‘Just be you, Merlin. They love your smart-mouth.’ Guinevere had a point, they did.</p><p>‘For multiple reasons.’ Morgana muttered under her breath, before standing up and offering her arm out to her lover.</p><p>‘Have a good time.’ Merlin stated, lingering for just a little longer.</p><p>‘We’ll give you all time.’</p>
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